Almost Forgotten
by SparklesNStuds
Summary: Elena and Jeremy left Mystic Falls after she ended it with Stefan to try and start a new life.  When she loses Jeremy in a tragic accident, she goes right back to where she realizes she belongs. Damon/Elena. Rated T for language. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya, guys! Me again with another story. I say another because I had posted a start to a different story that I was (and still am) working on. I didn't exactly like the way I started it out, so I'm kinda doing a bit of a re-write on it. No biggie. (: The idea for this story was inspired by the first couple of lines in a song I heard as I was channel surfing on the radio. I have no clue what the song was or exactly what the lines were, but my mind just went into creative mode while I was driving and the plot just snowballed. I'm so excited about it! I will finish my ramblings by just saying that I am a bit rusty with fics. I used to write them for other things a LONG time ago, so bear with me as I re-familiarize myself. **

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own anyone or anything from TVD. **

Chapter One

23-year-old Elena sped down the highway in her 1967 red Mustang convertible, about five minutes from the exit that she was looking for. At least, she thought so. She about threw her GPS out of the car after it practically screamed at her to "perform a U-turn" for the tenth time. It was a hot and steamy summer day, about 90 degrees. Her hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail and blowing wildly in the wind. She was dressed in a simple white tank top, a pair of sunglasses, and light wash jean shorts, her flip flops sitting on the passenger seat.

She had been travelling for a couple of days and was beyond relieved to finally pull onto the familiar exit. She was quite tired of driving and surviving on the shitty drive-thru coffee, but she was determined to make decent time and wouldn't let herself actually stop somewhere. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she began to pass some of the local sites in her hometown, Mystic Falls. She was home.

Everything was the same, but so different at the same time. After losing Jeremy in a tragic car accident, she needed to leave that place. She was tired of losing people. She never, made any friends and was absolutely miserable there. She belonged here, in Mystic Falls. She took in a deep breath as she turned into the familiar neighborhood that housed her best friends since kindergarten, Caroline and Bonnie. For some odd reason that she couldn't put her finger on, she felt nervous. She gripped the steering wheel as the Bonnie's house came into view. When she put her car into park and shut it off, she closed her eyes to collect herself for a minute before climbing out.

_Why am I so nervous? We kept in touch all the time. It'll be just like I never left._ She thought.

Before she could get her hand on the door handle, it was rip open and she was suddenly being squeezed tighter than she has ever been before.

"Elena! I am so so so so so beyond sorry about your parents, but I am happy that you came back here, where you belong." Caroline said as she continued to embrace Elena in a bone crushing hug.

Elena hugged her back fiercely, enjoying the feel of her cool skin on her own in the heat. "It is amazing to be back." Elena said, smiling. "But, Car, I know you're still getting used to your… vampire strength, but could you…let me go now?" Elena managed to squeak out.

"Absolutely not." She responded, which made Elena smile even wider. _I missed this._

"Bonnie!" Elena exclaimed the second she saw her. Caroline finally let her go and she bolted to embrace her other friend.

"I missed you so much, Lena!" Bonnie exclaimed. Elena responded by squeezing her even tighter, if that was possible.

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><p>Arrangements had been made for Elena to stay with Bonnie until she figured out other living situations. As much as she wanted to go out and celebrate her homecoming with Caroline and Bonnie, she was exhausted. The three girls caught up and had a small dinner together right at Bonnie's house and shortly thereafter, Elena excused herself to go unpack her things in her temporary room and Caroline had left to go finish planning a massive 'Welcome Home' party for Elena, much to Elena's dismay.<p>

Bonnie unzipped one of Elena's suitcases and started to help her hang up her clothes in the closet. The two were working in a comfortable silence for a while, but Bonnie decided to bring something up that both of them were avoiding.

"So…did you tell him you were coming back?" Bonnie asked.

"Nope." She answered as she continued to unpack her shoes, but stopping for a moment to shoot Bonnie a look. "You didn't say anything, did you?"

"No! No, of course not. Caroline didn't either, don't worry. But…why keep the secret? I thought you two were close?" Bonnie inquired.

"We were…are…" Elena stammered. She sighed in defeat and plopped on the bed dramatically, a hand covering up her eyes as if she were trying to block out the rest of the world.

"Truth is, Bon, I don't have a God damn clue what the hell we are. Our…friendship was complicated before I left and it's twice as complicated now." She admitted.

"More than twice." Bonnie snickered. Elena shot her a glare.

"So go find out where you two stand." Bonnie finally said. Elena pulled her hand away from her face, giving Bonnie an exasperated look.

"Yeah, okay. 'Hey, Damon, I'm back! Hooray! So are we in a relationship?' That would go over _so_ well." Elena said.

Bonnie smirked "You know if he still has you thinking about it this much, you at the very least have feelings for him. "

"No shit, Sherlock." Elena bit out as she got off the bed and hung the last shirt.

Bonnie shoved the last suitcase under the bed and turned to Elena, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You're my best friend and I love you. But if you don't do something about this, then I will." She gave her shoulders a light squeeze before retreating to her own room, leaving Elena to, most likely, climb out her window thinking that Bonnie wouldn't notice and head to the boardinghouse.

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><p>Elena looked in the mirror and weighed her options.<p>

She could go to bed, try to get sleep, but end up just thinking about Damon and their fucked up relationship. _If I can even call it that._ She thought.

Or she could take herself to him and do something about it.

She stared at herself in the reflection. She was done letting other people call the shots in her life. _Fuck it._ She thought. She walked over to the window and slid it open; suddenly thankful she was in the guest room that was on the first floor.

There she was. Walking up to the front steps of the boardinghouse. Before she got her foot on the first step, she heard leaves crunching behind her. She spun around to see a very familiar form come out of the treeline.

There he was, looking exactly as when she left five years ago. His eyes widened as soon as he saw her. He had heard someone approaching his home, but never in a million years would he have guessed for it to be Elena.

Damon began to move towards her slowly, taking in every inch of the new, older Elena. She looked tired, but amazing at the same time. He stopped a few feet away from her, afraid he was hallucinating for a moment. He couldn't believe that Elena was home again, standing right in front of him. She just stood with her hands in her back pockets, watching him intently. When her eyes finally settled on his, she almost gasped from their beauty. She had almost forgotten what they looked like. What _he_ looked like.

It felt like hours before she even breathed again. They stared back at each other for a long time, almost not needing to talk. She saw his eyes soften and wondered why the sudden change until she felt something wet rolling down her face. She wiped at it and realized she was crying. When she looked back up at him, another tear fell, then another.

She couldn't stand the space between them any longer. She walked right up to him and almost collapsed against him. All of her pent up anger, sadness, frustration, and happiness coming out at once. He immediately embraced her tightly to him, one arm around her back and the other on the back of her head.

He didn't know exactly why she was crying, but he knew that she had kept it in for so long and finally reached her boiling point. He just held her as her silent tears rolled down her face. He would have plenty of time to ask questions later. For now, he just quietly rejoiced at the fact that she was home and in his arms. Where he _knew_ she belonged.

**Ahhhhhh! I totally got in the zone writing this! I'm actually really excited about this one! I was debating for a few days because there were two different way I could take this story. When I finally settled on a decision, it just clicked. Anyways, enough of me rambling. Love it? Hate it? Any ideas for what you'd like to happen next? Leavea review! Xoxo**

**Quick note: I don't intend to have a regular update schedule for this, so it'll just be updated whenever the next chapter is ready. I am a full time college student, I own tow horses and I have a part time job, so bear with me while I try my best to put out some nice updates for you! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own anyone or anything from TVD.**

Chapter Two

After several minutes of embracing each other in silence, Damon pulled away to look her in the eye.

"Let's go inside." He said. She nodded as she turned and started to make her way towards the front steps, Damon following close behind. She missed this. She didn't need to say a word and he just _knew_ that she needed him. He didn't ask her what she was doing back here, how long she had been here, or how long she was planning to stay. She enjoyed not being badgered with a million questions right away.

As she stepped through the front doorway, she looked around at the place that used to be a second home to her. For some unknown reason to her, she expected it to be exactly the same. It wasn't. Furniture had been moved around and the entire feel of the massive house felt more open and welcoming. It had a slightly…happier feel to it.

"I'll be right back." Damon said, breaking her out of her reverie. She sent him a soft smile, watching him make his way to his now slightly larger alcohol collection, grabbing a couple tumblers and browsing his collection, finding a good choice. She sat down on one of the large leather sofas in the living room, propping her feet on the table in front of her like she had see Damon do oh so many times before she left. She couldn't help the smirk that stretched across her face. It didn't matter how long they had been apart, it felt like she had never left.

"Here, thought maybe you could use a drink." He said as he reappeared, handing her a tumbler of scotch.

She smiled, happily taking the glass and taking a swig of it, not even flinching as the alcohol burned the back of her throat.

He smirked as he took a swig of his own drink and sat beside her, laying his arm on the back of the couch behind her head and studied her as she finished off her drink, setting the glass on the table beside the sofa.

"I'm sorry," he said, breaking the silence. "about Jeremy." He finished.

Her head snapped up and look him square in the eyes again. "How did you know?" she asked.

He shrugged, "It's easy to get information from Vampire Princess."

"Oh." She said quietly, looking straight ahead into space.

"She didn't, however, tell me you were coming home. Why didn't you tell me?" Damon inquired.

Elena let out a long, heavy sigh. "I didn't tell anyone except for Jenna. She came and visited for a while to help me out, but all I wanted was to come home. To come here."

Damon waited silently, not wanting to push the envelope. He knew her well and knew that if he kept bugging her for more details, she would just shut herself away again.

"Jenna needed to get back to her job in New York and I packed my things and came back. I didn't tell you because I didn't know where we stood. It's no secret that things were complicated before I left…" she trailed off, shooting him a quick glance. "…and I was kind of lost, confused, angry, and sad all at the same time. I wasn't really thinking clearly."

Damon set his glass down and faced her full on.

"Elena…" he started, waiting for her to look at him. "I promise you that when you're here, you're safe. Between Bonnie's powers, Caroline's temper, and…me…the entire town is safe."

Elena smiled a little. "I know, I guess I just lost myself for a bit."

He brushed some hair behind her ear, "How about we don't let that happen again?" he smirked.

She couldn't help but laugh a bit. _How does he always do that to me?_ She thought. She could be in the absolute worst mood and he could always find a way to make her happier.

_What was I thinking leaving this place?_

* * *

><p>After spending a couple of hours with Damon, Elena felt like several tons had been lifted from her shoulders. Elena knew that it was a rare thing to see Damon act so sensitively. She was glad that their friendship was still very intact and that she could always count on him to be there to pick up the pieces.<p>

She crawled her way back through Bonnie's window, quietly shutting it behind her. She opened a drawer from the dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a camisole, quickly changing before finally climbing into bed. It was then that she realized that she definitely had no intentions on leaving Mystic Falls again soon.

* * *

><p>"Let her sleep, Caroline! She'll tell us everything when she wakes up." Elena heard bonnie scolding Caroline, muffled by the close bedroom door. She pulled the pillow over her head when she heard the door creak open and Caroline pounced on the bed, sitting cross-legged facing Elena's half-sleeping form.<p>

"Hi!" she exclaimed, too bubbly for it being this early. "I brought coffee and donuts!" she exclaimed, nudging Elena. When she made no effort to move at all, Caroline ripped the pillow away from her face. "Wake up! It's 10AM!"

Elena sat up, running a hand through her hair and taking the cup of coffee from Caroline.

"I tried to keep her out, Elena, but she just blurred right by me." Bonnie said, leaning against the doorframe.

Elena just smiled tiredly, sipping some more coffee. Bonnie took a seat next to Caroline on the bed and looked at Elena expectedly.

Elena's eyes widened a bit seeing two pairs of eyes glued on her. She gave both of the girls an odd look, wondering what their problem was.

"So, what did Damon have to say last night?" Caroline finally blurted out.

"Uh…hi?" Elena responded.

"Bullshit." Bonnie said.

"We all know _something_ had to have happened. So spill!" Caroline pushed.

"Really, guys. Nothing happened." Elena answered, climbing out of bed to pull out a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt of the closet.

"But…" she started, turning towards them, "…that doesn't mean that something _won't_ happen. I think that I made a mistake leaving Mystic Falls in the first place. Being with Damon last night just made me think how much I missed all of this, my home."

Bonnie and Caroline looked at her expectedly, waiting for any more information to come their way. They were left hanging when Elena just turned for the bathroom, desperately wanting a shower. She was caught up in her own little world again. She wanted to do something about her and Damon. However, one person just kept popping into her mind that held her back.

She needed to talk to Stefan.

**Holy crap, guys! I got like…a million e-mail notifications last night and this morning about people adding this story to alerts and favorites and adding ME to their author alerts. WHAT EVEN? If it weren't for all that, I probably wouldn't have had this update ready…I was totally inspired! It would've been up sooner if it weren't for the stupid stink bug I was hunting around my room for about 40 minutes. I fucking hate those things…I still never found it.**

**ANYWAYS, I love you guys so much! You made me feel good. (: Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Xoxo **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not claim to own anything or any characters from VD.**

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

Elena stood in the bathroom after her shower just staring at her reflection in the mirror. This was the first time in a long time she really looked at herself. After everything she's been through, she still had a young, exuberant look about her. The only thing different was that her hair was a little lighter from living in North Carolina for as long as she did with Jeremy. She was never really a self-conscious person, but she couldn't help but notice how she had matured a bit…in her physical look and her personality. She found herself staring at her bare neck, feeling like something was missing. She would constantly find herself subconsciously reaching up as if something was supposed to be there, but every time…there was nothing.

"What's taking you so long?" Caroline asked through the door, breaking Elena from her thoughts. She gave herself one last, quick look and turned to open the door and re-enter her temporary bedroom.

"Relax, Caroline. I'm done." She told her friend with a smirk as she exited the room to grab a quick breakfast. She knew she was hungry, but when her eyes settled on the tasty pastries sitting on the table, she realized that hungry didn't even begin to describe it.

"Can I ask you guys a serious question?" Bonnie asked Caroline and Elena.

"Of course." They both responded. They were sitting around the kitchen table going back in time and reminiscing.

"Ten years ago…where did you think you were going to be doing with your life?" she asked.

Both girls were quiet for a second. "Well, I never really had a plan. You know me, how I was too wrapped up in the moment all the time to even contemplate my future." Caroline said, getting a chuckle from Bonnie. Both girls then turned to Elena who seemed to have zoned out a little bit.

"I guess I just wanted to stay home for as long as I could in Mystic Falls. Enroll in a nearby college and just stay here. I could never have imagined leaving my parents behind to go to college, we were too close…I don't think I could've handled it…" Elena snapped back from her little realization and smiled at her two best friends. "…but after losing my parents, I'm glad that I had you guys and Jeremy…and even Stefan and Damon. I can't think of any place I'd rather be right now."

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><p>After spending nearly all morning inside catching up, the threesome decided to finally go out and venture into town. Elena, now being well-rested and refreshed from her long day of driving, was more than excited to get back into town and see her old friends. She was also going to definitely keep an eye out for Stefan. Their split was nothing dramatic. No huge fight or anything of the sort, but there were things still left unsaid between the two of them and Elena needed to completely settle things with him before she could get anywhere with Damon.<p>

They walked rather aimlessly around town for a couple hours, stopping every once and a while when Caroline saw something shiny in a store window that she "couldn't live without". The girls were currently lying under a large tree in the park, giving their feet a rest from all the walking. They relaxed into a comfortable silence, only speaking when Caroline or Bonnie would find a decent looking guy that walked by and rated each one. Elena was cracking up as the other two went into a detailed analysis of a new guy in tow that arrived just a week before Elena came back. According to Bonnie, he was "practically a Greek God". As far as she was concerned, Caroline and Bonnie could fight over him…she already knew who she wanted.

The second her mind went back to thinking about Damon, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the ID. _Damon._

"I'll be right back." Elena said, but the two were still going at it about the new guy. She stood and distanced herself so she could have some privacy before answering.

"Hey, D-"

"_Where are you?"_

"Oh, I'm great thanks for asking."

"_Elena._"

"Damon."

"_Where are you?" _he repeated.

"I'm in the park with Caroline and Bonnie, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing the urgency in his tone.

"_I need you to come to the boardinghouse. It's urgent." _He replied.

"Uh…okay." She responded, clearly confused. Before she could say anything else, the line went dead. _The fuck was that about?_

"Guys, that was Damon. Something's wrong…we need to get to the boardinghouse." She said as she approached Caroline and Bonnie.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked quickly as she quickly got up with Caroline, starting to walk, practically running, back to her car.

"I wish I could tell you." Elena responded, jogging up to the car door.

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><p>Elena was out her the car before the car was even off and was dashing up the front steps of the boardinghouse. Before she could even reach for the door, it was whipped open by Damon.<p>

"Come on." Was all he said, leading the way into the study.

"What is going on Damon?" Elena asked. It's been a while since she has seen him this agitated.

"Did anyone follow you?" he asked, standing in front of Elena.

"No, no one followed us. Tell me what's going on right _now._" She demanded.

He sighed, taking a few steps towards his liquor cart, running a hand through his hair. "There were to animal attacks last night…" He said…pausing for a moment. "…except it was no animal." He finished.

"Well, who do you think it could be? Katherine?" Bonnie asked.

"No…it was too messy for her style. Whoever did this is quite the ripper." Damon said, shifting his eyes from Bonnie to Elena, eying her reaction.

Elena stiffened. "Stefan?" she asked, knowing about Stefan's darker side. All Damon could do was shrug.

"That's what I thought until I took a closer look. Although it looked violent, it just doesn't completely scream Stefan to me. I just don't know who else it could've been." Damon answered, downing his glass of Scotch.

He stood in front of Elena again, placing his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "I know you don't like being babysat, but we have no clue as to who exactly this was and what they want." He began, looking directly into her eyes. "But until we find out more, I don't want you to be alone. If I'm not with you, make sure Bonnie or Caroline is." He told her as more of a command than a suggestion.

She just nodded in response, too many thoughts flying around her head to be able to speak.

She looked at Damon questioningly as she noticed his gaze harden. He was looking right at her neck, but not as if he was hungry. He looked purely curious.

"Where is your necklace?" he asked, baffled as to why she wasn't wearing the only thing that could protect her from compulsion.

She looked down at her bare neck, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

"What necklace?"

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><p><strong>Boom done! The first cliffhanger. Love me? (: And another vampire in town! Who could it be? And, most of all, where the FUCK is her necklace, right? (; Please review and tell me what you think! I'm getting back into the swing of things rather quickly and I'm super excited for this story. Again, I apologize for not having any sort of update schedule for this piece. Stupid school and work. ):<strong>


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